In addition to camera switching, the Roland V-1HD+ allows a single operator to mix professional sound with its integrated 14-channel digital audio mixer
It's been said, "In the world of video, audio is king." Roland has taken that mantra to heart with their V-1HD + STR Livestreaming Solution Bundle. The bundle is designed to allow you to switch between four HD sources and record or live stream them from your computer. The addition of Roland’s new UVC-01 USB Encoder allows your church to start streaming to Facebook Live, YouTube and many other popular streaming platforms. But again, it’s the audio capabilities that are truly exceptional.
The original V-1HD was released in 2015. The current model, the V-1HD+, expands upon its predecessor's audio capabilities. The V-1HD+ has a 14-channel audio mixer and a vast host of I/O, including XLR, 1/8-inch, ¼-inch, HDMI, and RCA ports. Each audio input on the V-1HD+ has a three-band equalizer, high-pass filter, compressor, and noise gate, along with sync delay to align audio with video if needed. If that weren't enough, the XLR and 1/8-inch inputs also include de-essers, and the whole system is PA-ready if required via the ¼-inch TRS outputs. Beyond that, The V-1HD+ also has essential audio control knobs right on the switcher, keeping you out of the menu for the simple controls.
On the video side, the four HDMI inputs all have a frame rate conversion built-in and a scaler on the fourth input making diverse sources no problem for this switcher. The V-1HD+ also features two HDMI outputs that can be assigned to display one of three different video busses. This gives you the flexibility of having a program out and a multiviewer output --- all of which are controlled on the familiar PGM/PST buses and T-bar. With one-touch access to the system menu, downstream key on/off, transition type, picture-in-picture, effects on/off, are all accessible from the control surface, making the V-1HD+ a feature-rich product in a small package.
A 10-window multiviewer display can be applied to one or both HDMI outputs, allowing users to cue up camera shots and preview presentations, and also choose stored still images before taking them live to the program output.
Plays well with others
While we have yet to review this particular model, some of the features on the V-1HD+ appear to be designed for use with other video production products and potentially larger systems. Tally, for instance, is a live production standard, and many small production switchers don't have a way to interface with a tally system; the V-1HD+ does. This gives your camera operators confirmation they are "live" or tells your talent which camera they should be looking for. The V-1HD+ has integration for Atmos video recorders and can trigger recording via the HDMI output for select recorders. It also has an RS-232, which allows it to interface legacy control systems.
UVC-01USB Video Capture
Back at the start of the pandemic, there was a run on HDMI-to-USB capture interfaces. It was the video production equivalent of the toilet paper shortage. Everybody who was going to doing anything video-related picked shelves clean of these little devices.
If you haven't used a capture device like this, it's straightforward. Most of them are plug-and-play and treat whatever is plugged in just like a webcam and most any device can easily detect it.
Now the Roland UVC-01 capture interface has a few advantages over many of the other interfaces. First, it has an Aux in for audio, so your audio source doesn't have to come from your video source, which is excellent for things like pulling a board mix from FOH and adding it to your video stream. The second advantage is that the UVC-01 uses a USB 3.0 port which allows it to capture video up to 1080/59.94p.
Having used earlier iterations of this switcher, I can say from experience it's very intuitive; anyone with basic video knowledge will be able to find their way through this product. Even without introductory knowledge, the learning curve should be quite short.
From an end-user perspective, I like that most of the functions are accessible from the interface without having to deep-dive into the menus. I put the previous version of this switcher through its paces, and it never gave me any issues. I look forward to getting my hands on this unit in the near future.
If your church is looking to take its streaming game up a notch, the Roland V-1HD + STR Livestreaming Solution Bundle deserves some strong consideration. Coming at a price point of $1,495, few other products on the market offer the combination of plug-and-play ease and the reliability found in this system.
